Decrease of AIDS Cases: Statement at the Rajaya Sabha

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DECREASE OF AIDS CASES

17:38 IST

Rajya Sabha The 2006 estimates released recently by the National AIDS Control Organisation, supported by UNAIDS and WHO, indicate that an estimated 2 million to 3.1 million people are living with HIV in the country. These estimates are more accurate than those of previous years, as they are based on an expanded surveillance system and a revised and enhanced methodology. The methodology adopted use of multiple data sources including National Family Health Survey – 3.

The new methods developed for the revised estimates have also been used to "back-calculate" the prevalence for years since 2002 based on the new set of assumptions and measures. These figures allow a fair comparison of year-on-year trends in HIV prevalence. They show an epidemic that is stable over time with marginal decline in 2006.

A statement showing estimated number of cases of HIV/AIDS in States during 2002 and 2006 can be seen at Annexure-I.

Government of India has lunched National AIDS Control Programme phase-III, with the goal to halt and reverse the epidemic in the country over the next 5 years by integrating programmes for prevention, care, support and treatment. This will be achieved through a four-pronged strategy:

1. Prevention of new infections in high-risk groups and general population.

2. Providing greater care, support and treatment to larger number of PLHA.

3. Strengthening the infrastructure, systems and human resources in prevention, care, support and treatment programmes at the district, state and national level.

4. Strengthening the nationwide Strategic Information Management System.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Smt. Panabaka Lakshmi in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

ANNEXURE

Statement indicating the reported number of AIDS cases during the year 2002 and 2006

S. No.

State/UT

2002

2006 (Prov.)

1

A & N Island

6

0

2

Andhra Pradesh

1497

10167

3

Arunachal Pradesh

0

13

4

Assam

16

107

5

Bihar

28

0

6

Chandigarh

239

451

7

Chattisgarh

0

0

8

D & N Haveli

0

0

9

Daman & Diu

0

0

10

Delhi

106

346

11

Goa

68

23

12

Gujarat

1250

859

13

Haryana

53

202

14

Himachal Pradesh

40

6

15

J & K

0

34

16

Jharkhand

0

159

17

Karnataka

294

NA

18

Kerala

385

NA

19

Lakshadweep

0

0

20

Madhya Pradesh

156

230

21

Maharashtra

7334

4347

22

Manipur

632

80

23

Meghalaya

0

0

24

Mizoram

14

4

25

Nagaland

87

NA

26

Orissa

88

116

27

Pondicherry

140

NA

28

Punjab

59

239

29

Rajasthan

292

302

30

Sikkim

2

0

31

Tamil Nadu

9101

11481

32

Tripura

5

0

33

Uttar Pradesh

359

685

34

Uttaranchal

5

0

35

West Bengal

969

0

Total

23225

29851

KR/SK/90 – RShttp://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=29826

[Guest guest]

Dear moderator

please publish the follwoing comments connected to this topic

Re: /message/7700

Analysis and interpretation of health data some time tricky and

confuse common men. Many a time researchers and institutions

interpret research data based on their need and to establish some

facts they wanted to prove.

As a lay man I have some doubts about this figures showed in the mail

annexure, I will be grateful if some could clarify this.

1. How do we define AIDS cases – a person infected with two or

three OIs? If so for how long? What should be CD4 count, again for

how long and from where this data was collected ie (ARV centres, Govt

hospitals, care homes)

2. Did new patients registered to ARV centres in 2006

considered as AIDS patient

3. Were new patient admitted to Care homes in 2006 considered as

AIDS patient?

4. Were the people died by AIDS related symptoms that lived in

hospitals,private and public care homes and families counted? or we

are saying that no one die of AIDS but by other infections so it

cant be treated as AIDS deaths?

5. if you compare the figures of AIDS cases of 2005 and 2006 in

some states there is a steep decline of numbers in 2006 from 2005.can

we assume that this because of the successful ARV program?

6. Can we believe that all cases admitted to government

hospitals, PHCs with AIDS related symptoms were reported or were

those reported as TB cases or other cases

7. Although the majority of Indian population depend on

Government health system, since stigma is attached to HIV, can we not

think that patients are going to private health sectors or access

alternative medicines? are these data included or whether tried to

investigate in to this areas?

8. If the number of AIDS patients (although data from some

states are not available) is less than 30,000, in India, should the

nation spend such a huge amount for prevention and treatment programs?

Joy Cyriac

e-mail: <joycyriac2000@...>